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Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Ethiopia’s Muslims protest against being “treated like terrorists”

(July 25, 2012, France 24)--Long known for its religious tolerance, Ethiopia’s reputation now
looks to be hanging in the balance as some members of its Muslim
community have accused the government of treating them as if they were
terrorists, resulting in a wave of protests in the capital Addis Ababa.

Mass demonstrations against religious discrimination erupted anew
on Saturday, after scores of people gathered at Addis Ababa’s Anawar
mosque. Clashes reportedly broke out after police attempted to break up
the crowd, leading to the arrest of hundreds of protesters.

Over recent months, members of Ethiopia’s Muslim community have
gathered at the capital’s Awoliya mosque every Friday to demand a new
“majlis”, or Muslim Council. Many feel as though the current “majlis” is
mostly comprised of government-appointed figures who do not represent
them.

The demonstrations first turned violent on July 13, when thousands
gathered at the Anawar mosque to call for a new “majilis”. Security
forces were immediately dispatched to break up the demonstration, which
authorities perceived as an act aimed at disrupting an upcoming African
Union summit to be held in the capital. Police forced the mosque’s
entrance open, before shooting canisters of teargas at the crowd and
arresting 72 people.

While the majority of people in Ethiopia are Orthodox Christian, nearly
34 percent of the population is Muslim. Although the country has no
official religion and its constitution guarantees religious freedom,
there are some Muslims who feel as though their rights have been
encroached upon and accuse the government of pushing the ideology of
al-Ahbash – a Sunni movement founded in Lebanon during the 20th century
that largely condemns Salafism and encourages religious pluralism. Read more from France 24»